


Boxing Day

by teaberryblue



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Boxing Day, Christmas, Friendship, Gen, Post-War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-05
Updated: 2013-09-05
Packaged: 2017-12-25 17:16:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/955693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teaberryblue/pseuds/teaberryblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neville and Luna celebrate Boxing Day</p>
            </blockquote>





	Boxing Day

The room was strewn with scraps of brightly-colored paper and snatches of ribbon. Lights danced from the Christmas tree in the corner. Luna had affixed one of the biggest bows in her hair, multicolored tinsel catching the light whenever she moved   
  
"Thank you for introducing me to your parents," she said. "They were lovely."  
  
"You're-- you're welcome," Neville stammered. "It was...nice to have you."  
  
Luna smiled, admiring the rainbow array of sweet wrappers encircling her wrist. "Your mother... she's very artistic. No one’s given me such a nice present before. Once when my father remembered Christmas, he wrapped up a tin of chocolate biscuits."  
  
Neville went quiet, his fingers running over the ribbon of the tiny package in his hand. It suddenly seemed inadequate. He thrust it at her, unsure what to say. "I hope people give you more presents from now on."  
  
Luna's eyes lit up. "Oh, Neville, you shouldn’t have. It's just what I've always wanted." She kissed him on the cheek.   
  
"Er...you haven't opened it," Neville said, in case she thought it was just a box wrapped in paper. With Luna, he could never be too sure.  
  
"I think I will wait to do that,” Luna said. “Then it will be like getting two presents. And in the meantime, I can give you yours. Put on your coat," she said, licking the last of the pink biscuit-icing from her fingers.   
  
"We're going out?"   
  
Luna nodded. "But not too far."  
  
"I'd better tell my gran," he decided. "Meet you downstairs?"  
  
"I don't think your gran likes me very much," Luna observed, when Neville met her at the door. "She leaves the room when I'm there.”  
  
"It's not you," Neville assured her. "It's, well, the Quibbler."  
  
"I understand," said Luna. "It's not the first time. Here, now hold my hand." She held out her lumpy, handmade mitten. He took it in his thrice-darned glove.  
  
They apparated to a hillside, where long, frozen grass crunched underfoot. The only sound was the rustling of the wind in the trees.   
  
"Where are we?" Neville asked.   
  
She smiled and tugged him along, her cheeks turning rosy in the wind.   
  
They reached a white headstone, nestled beneath a tree. A bunch of dried flowers sat propped against it. Luna produced another iced biscuit, and put it reverently on the ground. "Neville, this is my mother," she said. "Mother, this is Neville. He's my friend." She glanced up at him. "My best friend. Say hello, Neville."   
  
"Hi," Neville said shyly, waving at the grave.   
  
Luna was quiet for a long moment, and then nodded her head. "Of course we will, yes, Mother. And you do, too. Merry Christmas!"  
  
She gestured to Neville to follow her. "My mother says we ought to go listen to the pygmy puffs," she told him.   
  
"Pygmy puffs?" He asked.  
  
"Singing, silly. It is Boxing Day, after all."


End file.
